ATLANTA -- On June 22, Boys &
Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) named Tyler
Merriweather, 18, a five-year member of Boys & Girls Clubs of West
Alabama, the 2012-13 Southeast Region Youth of the Year.

He receives a total of
$11,000 in college scholarships from the Youth of the Year program's sponsor Tupperware
Brands Corporation. Merriweather was chosen from 10 candidates within BGCA's Southeast
region and will compete for the national title in Washington, D.C.
in September.

Merriweather and his fellow Youth of
the Year candidates were honored at BGCA's Annual Southeast Region Youth of the
Year Celebration dinner held in Atlanta
last evening.

Prior to the event, the finalists were treated to a three-day
experience in Atlanta,
which included career experiences at local companies and a community service
project where they assembled and distributed hygiene kits for the homeless.

Each finalist received a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware and $400 in
gift cards from J.C. Penney. As the regional winner, Merriweather also received an
additional $500 J.C. Penney gift card to help prepare his wardrobe for the
National Youth of the Year competition.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Youth
of the Year recognition is the highest honor a Club member can achieve. The
Youth of the Year program, founded in 1947, celebrates youth who have overcome
enormous odds and demonstrated exceptional character and accomplishments. These
deserving young people are recognized for service to their Club and community, academic
performance and contributions to their family.

For the past five years, the Boys & Girls Clubs
of West Alabama has been a sanctuary for Merriweather. Raised by a single
mother, Merriweather has taken on many of the responsibilities of maintaining
his household – including caring for a sister with medical challenges. The time
he spends at the Club has helped him develop into a caring and driven young
man.

Merriweather is committed to attracting more teen
members to his Club and has worked with the staff to implement programs and
activities for older youth. He is an active participant in several Club
programs including Passport to Manhood, which promotes and encourages
responsibility in Club boys; and SMART Moves, a prevention and education
program that promotes healthy choices. Additionally, Merriweather has
represented his community's teens as a presenter before the county commission,
city council and school board.

Merriweather served in many leadership capacities
at Holt High School – including senior class president, president of the Future
Business Leaders of America, vice president of the BETA Club and president of
the PRIDE Drug Awareness Program. To
encourage student awareness about environmental issues, Merriweather led his
school's Recycling Day, which resulted in a record number of cans and cardboard
collected.

An honor student, Merriweather
recently graduated with a 3.9 grade point average and will attend the University of Alabama to study accounting.

As the Southeast Region Youth of the Year, Merriweather and
four other regional winners will have a chance to meet with President Barack H.
Obama in the White House Oval Office in September. If named the 2012-13
National Youth of the Year, he will receive an additional $50,000 scholarship from
The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation